


steal the moon

by freckleder



Series: Tsukishima Week 2016 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Character Study, Drabble Collection, Gen, Tsukishima Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-16 13:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8104492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freckleder/pseuds/freckleder
Summary: "It left him physically and emotionally exhausted. He thought a lot. About volleyball and what his brother wanted. What he wanted. If the effort was worth it." 

 
A collection of drabbles, focused on Tsukishima Kei and his relationship with other people around him.





	1. hand-me-downs

**Author's Note:**

> This is written for [ Tsukishima Week ](http://tsukishimaweek.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! 
> 
> Day 1: ~~Childhood/~~ Growing Up | ~~Aged Up & Working AU ~~ | ~~Hope~~
> 
> My goal for Tsukishima Week is to write a short drabble for each day just to get going again, I hope you'll enjoy!!

Kei’s clothes had always been too short.

The pants not reaching past his ankles, his hands always cold because he could never pull the sleeves of his shirts over them. He had always been wearing his brother’s hand-me-downs.He hadn’t minded it. Akiteru was amazing and he felt good being able to dress like he had.

Kei slipped into Akiteru’s old volleyball shoes.

They were a bit too small. He wiggled his toes experimentally but he decided that they were enough. Akiteru and his mother had urged him to choose a sport for high school, as a balance to studying and to keep healthy. Kei had shrugged and half-heartedly mumbled something about maybe taking up volleyball but he would first look into it. He didn’t need to say more, the sparks in Akiteru’s eyes were enough for him to make his choice. The way Akiteru waited for him in the kitchen after every volleyball practice and demanded every detail of their training session almost made him want to try harder.

With his height advantage it didn’t take a long time for him to become a regular of their team. Akiteru had hugged him so hard they almost fell over. Kei refused to tell him the dates of their games against other teams. How could he have his brother watch him playing in a position he half-heartedly achieved even though it had meant so much to Akiteru.

The training camp was rough. It was ruthless and Kei’s height advantage didn’t matter. Everyone was struggling, confronted with their own inner demons and their team dynamic wavered. It left him physically and emotionally exhausted. He thought a lot. About volleyball and what his brother wanted. What he wanted. If the effort was worth it.

When he got home his brother had a present for him. It was a pair of sports glasses.

Kei tried them on and for the first time something fit him.

 


	2. knights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: ~~Affection/Bonds~~ | Sports/Rivalry | ~~Pride~~
> 
> I think I want to try and include the different relationships tsukki has with characters he interacts with, so i'll try my best to get all of their characterizations on point!! Today features: Kageyama!

A smirk tugged on the corners of Kei’s mouth. He loved the contrast of Kageyama’s hair, black and shiny against the sun, and his flushed skin after he reacted to Kei’s teasing. He always took the bait so easily. It only took one word. _King._ It passed his lips with a sharpness that left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Kageyama was clearly the much better player so it exhilarated him even more to be able to draw this reaction out of him. The king, getting riled up by a mere commoner’s remark.

Kei raised one eyebrow as he faced Kageyama from the other side of the net.

He earned a scowl in return when he noticed Kei’s look, but his face was wiped clean of any emotions as soon as the ball was in the game. It was a mask of concentration, focused, determined.  Kei could see his chest rise and his muscles flex when he moved, the way he played like it was the one and only purpose of his existence.

The king who has fallen from grace. The king who had only been a knight among others but got too demanding ended up deprived of team mates and their trust.

He watched him make a dump shot right in front of Kei.

It had been on purpose.

He could tell from the way his eyes immediately shot up to Kei’s face to see his reaction, a grin plastered on his face. It was like a game to Kei. He would make a snide comment and Kageyama would get back at him. Then it started once again. Back and forth. A game of cat and mouse.

It was Kageyama’s natural instinct against Kei’s wit.

It was after a particularly hot day, all of them were resting against the cool wall of the gym, when Kageyama approached Kei. He thought he would challenge him to a rematch since he had lost for the first time in a two-vs-two match but instead he handed him a small package. It was strawberry milk from the vending machine. A second milk carton was in his hand and he sat down next to Kei.

“You played well today.”

“How generous. Will I get treated every time I win?”

“I won’t let a second time happen, I can assure you that.”

And it was in that moment that it occurred to Kei that he wasn’t the only one that knew how the game was played.

 


	3. the sounds of volleyball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3: ~~Beginnings/First Encounter~~ | Endings/Last Words | ~~Frustration~~
> 
> I couldn't choose who to write about today so i went with a post-canon fic instead, i hope you like it!!

The leafless branches of the trees were bending under the heavy loads of snow. The tiny feet of the sparrows that always came to pick up the crumbs students often left at the schoolyard left traces in the snow. Ice crystals were covering the windows of the gym. It was always cold inside during winter.

Kei sat on the bench, watching the first years play a two-vs-two match. Yamaguchi had taught them well. They all had. One of them way wearing the shirt with his old number. He remembered how he had passed it on two years ago.

The jersey with the number three still felt foreign. It held responsibility. Kei traced the number with his finger. Three years.

He watched the rays of the cold winter sun hit the floor, their reflections not strong enough to blind him. Kei closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of volleyball. The squeaking of shoes, desperately running to make it to the ball. The short slapping of skin hitting leather, keeping the ball in the air. The shouting of his teammates, communicating through short commands.

When Kei opened his eyes it had quieted down. The last game for today was over and everyone started to clean up. The other third years were gone. Of course. It was time to go. Kei pushed himself off the bench and followed them into the changing room.

Kageyama carefully removed the tape of a wallpaper that was stuck to the inside of his locker and rolled it up. Hinata inspected a cereal bar that had expired a year ago and contemplated whether it was safe to eat. Yamaguchi hadn’t even opened his locker.

“Yamaguchi, are you alright?” It was a stupid question. Saying farewell was always hard.

Yamaguchi just nodded and finally started to move. Kei opened his own locker. It was almost empty because he had already started to take his things home one by one. Now the content was reduced to his bag, his clothes and some tape. He took his sports glasses off and switched them out for his regular pair when the first and second years came in.

“We’re done,” one of the announced.

Yamaguchi nodded. All eyes were on him. He was the captain so everyone was waiting for his last words. He had prepared a short speech and Kei noticed how his voice was getting progressively worse until it completely cracked at the end.

“We are proud to have you as our successors, never lose sight of your goals and remember that you can always count on us if the times get rough. You got this.”

Yamaguchi broke out in tears and the first and second years all pulled them into a group hug. Kageyama and Hinata both had tears slowly rolling down their cheeks and Kei spotted some of the younger ones crying as well. He himself felt like someone had shoved something down his throat that made it hard to get words out so he didn’t say anything.

“We’ve also prepared something for you. It’s nothing big but we thought it might be nice.”

They handed the four of them a white shirt each. Kei unfolded it and it had the signature of all their first and second years on them, along with little messages for each of them. He heard Yamaguchi sobbing next to him.

“On Friday we’ll go out and eat, it’s our treat so think about what you want to order,” Yamaguchi announced after regaining his composure. “And now get going our you’ll miss the bus home!”

“They really are something,” he said to Kei when they were walking home later that day.

Kei nodded. “They sure kept us busy just like we did when we were in our first year. Now we have to trust them to handle it on their own until the end of the school year, we stayed in the club for as long as we could.”

They were both reminiscing about the last three years, the nostalgia hitting them like the cold winter air after leaving a warm building.

That night Kei sat on his bed, reading the messages written for him on the shirt and the tears dripping down his chin hit the blanket with a soft thud. It was far from being over. The opposite, they were just getting started but _saying farewell was always hard._


	4. just in case

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4: Holidays | ~~Studying Together~~ | ~~Annoyance~~
> 
> I'm a bit late but I had a lot going on yesterday, so it's gonna be two chapters today~ enjoy!

„Are you sure that it’s fine if I go by myself?“

“For the tenth time, yes. They’re your friends so go and have a nice weekend!”

___

It was so early in the morning that the air was still somewhat pleasant instead of the unbearable heat the summer sun would soon cause. Kei was waiting at the train station for a train that would take him to Tokyo, his large backpack resting against his legs. He fanned himself some air with a pamphlet from the train station. There weren’t many people around, a few men and women dressed in suits and office attire, an old man who grumpily checked his watch every minute and a family with two kids.

Kei had been surprised when he received an invitation from Kuroo and Bokuto to visit them during the holidays and check out Tokyo. Kuroo offered him to stay at his place for the weekend and already attached a map that showed him how to get to his place before he had even responded.

Kei had asked Yamaguchi if he wanted to tag along too because he could ask them but Yamaguchi refused and told him to go on his own.

The train arrived and Kei got in, looking for a seat that was far away from anyone else. He would try and get some rest since he had gotten up early. The perfect conditions to sleep on a train: a window seat to rest your head against it, headphones to drown out the noisy people and enough leg space. The latest was not always easy to achieve but the seat next to him was empty so he had all the space for his legs that he wanted.

He watched the trees rush by when the train picked up pace, making his eyes heavy and tired.He thought of the training camp when he got to know Bokuto and Kuroo. He hadn’t been all too friendly at first but they had been persistent. Kei wondered what he had done to catch their eye. There must’ve been a reason why they even bothered with him but he was glad they did. They made him realize how important it was to look at things from a different perspective.

When Kei arrived and saw them waiting with a huge sign that said _“Tsukki”_ and waving with both arms. He couldn't help but laughed. He had missed their ridiculous shenanigans, even though he wouldn’t admit it. He was looking forward to Tokyo and his mind wandered to his volleyball uniform at the bottom of his backpack. He knew that they had only been talking about sightseeing but he still packed it. Just in case.

 


	5. if i could

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 6: Angst/Hurt | Fluff/Comfort | ~~Disappointment~~
> 
> I couldn't write angst without it getting resolved and I always wondered where Tsukki's habit to wear headphones all the time came from. This is very rushed because I didn't have much time to write today and I'm also already working on Tsukki's birthday drabble so I hope you'll like this one~

Kei inspected the headphones in his hands. He had bought them from his own pocket money. They hadn’t been cheap but they promised to isolate the outside noises perfectly.

He heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He had lived long enough in this house to be able to tell who they belonged to. He slipped the headphones on, just in time.

The door opened. Kei pretended that he didn’t notice and focused on the homework in front of him.

“Kei, how was your school day?”

Kei acted like he had heard nothing. It was the same conversation every day.

_“How was school?” “Fine.”_

_“Do you want to go and toss a volleyball back and forth?” “No.”_

_“Kei…do you want to talk?” **“No.”**_

Akiteru tried to persuade him to talk to him relentlessly. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“Oh, I guess you can’t hear me…”

The disappointment in his voice was like a papercut among the hundreds that he had felt before.

Akiteru had acted like nothing had happened during dinner which made him feel even worse. His mum had told him more than once to finally make up and that he couldn’t stay mad at Akiteru forever.

But the thing was, he wasn’t mad. He didn’t know what he felt because at that moment when he had seen Akiteru cheering for his team mates instead of playing the court was like a chasm, ripping the ground open between them, separating their worlds. Kei couldn’t take a step forward because he was afraid of getting swallowed up by it so he stayed still instead and slipped his headphones on, drowning out the world around him.

\---

Kei came home from volleyball practice and unpacked his backpack when his gaze fell upon the new pair of glasses Akiteru had gotten him. They worked amazing. He swallowed and got up.

He knocked at Akiteru’s door.

“Yeah?”

The surprised look on his brother’s face to see Kei at his door made him realize how much earlier he should have done this.

“I just wanted to say that the glasses you got me are really good, thanks. And…I’m sorry.”

Akiteru smiled. “I’m happy that they work, why are you apologizing?”

“I’m just sorry, for everything, you know.” Kei looked at his hands that were clasped together in front of him.

“Oh…” Akiteru’s expression got softer. “Do you want to come in and talk?”

Kei nodded.

 


	6. Happy Birthday, Tsukki!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 7: Happy Birthday, Tsukki!!! (I'm one day late but let's pretend I'm still on time) 
> 
> I wasn't feeling well so today's drabble isn't as intricate as the others, just a little something for Tsukki's Birthday! As always thanks for sticking around, I had a lot of fun writing for Tsukishima Week and I hope you enjoyed it as well!!

Yamaguchi raised his hand. „Excuse me, Miss! I’m not feeling well.”

“Alright, you may go to the school physician. Do you need someone to take you there?”

“No, I’ll be fine on my own.”

Kei watched him get up and leave through the door. Of course he knew where he was going. Yamaguchi wasn’t one to skip class just so he could sleep at the infirmary. Today was his birthday so Yamaguchi had sneaked out to prepare a birthday party with the volleyball team. They did this for every member so Kei already knew what was coming.

After that lesson was lunch time but Kei didn’t get far in his plans to eat the food his mum had packed. Nishinoya and Tanaka were both waiting for him at the doorway.

“Do we really have to do this every time?” he asked and tugged at the piece of fabric they used as a blindfold. “I already know where we’re going.”

“Sorry, no can do”, Tanaka said while they led him to the gym.

“Those are the rules,” Nishinoya chimed in.

Kei prayed that they wouldn’t let him run into something. The wind hit them when they walked outside.

“Alright, here we are. You can take the blindfold off.”

Kei removed it and put his glasses back on. They stood in front of the gym with the door still closed, just like he had expected.

“Open it,” Nishinoya urged.

Kei did as he was told and his vision was immediately blurred by the streamers from all the party poppers that went off, completely covering him in them.

“Happy Birthday Tsukishima!” they all shouted in unison.

He looked around and saw Hinata sitting on Asahi’s shoulders and sharing a high-five with him while Kei tried to free himself of the streamers. There was a huge banner that read _“Happy Birthday Tsukishima!”_ attached to the net. The “shima” part was squashed in between the rest because they hadn’t left enough space for it. He stood around helplessly, for once not sure how to react.

Nishinoya and Tanaka shoved him on the court and towards the table filled with presents and cake. They all surrounded him and gave him expectant looks.

“Thank you for all of this…I already told you beforehand that you don’t have to throw a party for me.” He knew that he wasn’t very close to any of the team members except for Yamaguchi so he would’ve felt better if they’d have just left his birthday out.

“Don’t be ridiculous, as if we could skip someone’s birthday,” Suga gave him a pat on his shoulder. “Now let’s have some cake and then you’ll open the presents.”

The cake was beautiful. It had strawberries and cream on top and _“Happy Birthday”_ was written in a thin line of chocolate on top of it. Yachi had spent the entire day before making it and ended up turning red like a tomato when everyone started to shower her in compliments because it tastes as good as it looked. They all sat on the floor, eating cake for lunch. Kei wasn’t even spared of them singing _“Happy Birthday”_ for him, which made him feel even more awkward.

“Is everything alright?” Yachi was the first one to pick up his discomfort.

“It’s fine, I just feel bad because all of you put so much effort into everything.” Kei spoke quietly, he didn’t want the others to hear him. “Thanks again for your cake, it was pretty good.”

Yachi smiled. “Oh, you’re welcome. I had a lot of fun making it. Even though I’m not that good at baking but I enjoy decorating cakes. Yamaguchi told me that you like strawberry shortcake so I tried to get as close to it as possible.”

They both watched the others for a moment.

“You know, everyone had fun putting this together.” Yachi eventually said.

Kei nodded. He could picture it in his mind, all of them trying their best to make everything look nice. Even though he thought the effort towards him wasn’t justified he reminded himself that the least he could do was enjoying himself so he got up.

He held one arm out to Yachi. “Do you want to go over and join the rest?”

“O-Oh, sure.” She took his hand and let him pull her up before walking over to the others and Yachi wasn’t sure if her eyes were playing a trick on her but she could definitely see a smile on Kei’s face.

 

 

 

 


End file.
